NEW DELHI, May 9- More than 18,000 Indians are seeking to leave Saudi Arabia amid concerns of possible job losses due to the implementation of a new labour law that reserves 10 per cent of jobs for locals.
The Indian workers have approached the Indian embassy in Riyadh to apply for an Emergency Certificate (EC) to return to India, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in a written reply at the Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian parliament) on Wednesday that the embassy had received applications for the emergency certificate since last week.
The ‘Nitaqat’ law makes it mandatory for local Saudi Arabian companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers in a bid to reduce unemployment.
Widespread speculations have emerged that the new policy would lead to denial of job opportunities for a large number of Indians working in Saudi Arabia.
Over two million Indians are currently working in the Gulf nation. According to the Indian embassy in Riyadh, the increase in the number of Indians applying for the EC was a result of the Saudi authorities’ campaign against foreign workers who were staying in the country without fulfilling certain conditions and not due to the new labour law.
“This drive affects not only illegal workers from India but also from all other countries whose immigrant workers have come to Saudi Arabia,” Ravi said.
A delegation led by Ravi visited Saudi Arabia two weeks ago during which it expressed India’s concern about the Nitaqat law.
-BERNAMA
